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Well, the real question you
should probably ask yourself is, "What kind of riding do
I want to do?" Of course, even that question isn't so
easy to answer. That's why I have two bikes! Hopefully
you can narrow down the choices for yourself better than
I managed to do. You should ask yourself the following
questions:
Will I ride my bicycle on paved roads, or on
trails or fire roads?
If you plan on doing serious off-road riding,
you need a serious off-road bicycle. Get a mountain
bike! There's a wide variety of mountain bikes available
with or without front and/or rear suspension but that's
a discussion that will have to wait for another day.
Only with a decent mountain bike will you be able to
competently maneuver your bike along single-track, down
a mountainside, or over rocks. On the other hand, if you
are going to stay on well paved streets, you probably
don't want to be slowed down by the weight and rolling
resistance of a mountain bike and should look for
something else.
Do I want to ride distances greater than ten
miles?
If your going to ride more than about ten miles
on the road, stay away from mountain bikes. While I've
gotten a lot of good city riding with my mountain bike
(equipped with 1-1/4" slick- treaded, high-pressure
tires), I wouldn't want to be on it for more than about
30 minutes at a time on the road. Sure it's great
off-road, but you'd be more comfortable and faster on a
bike built for the road.
Do I want to carry my own equipment while
touring?
If the answer is yes, try to get a touring
bike. Although fewer manufacturers are making touring
bikes these days, they can still be found if you're
willing to look. Bikes built for loaded touring are
usually more comfortable than other bikes, are more
stable (they turn more slowly), and also come with
eyelets in the frame and fork for attaching racks.
Touring bikes also come with a triple crank to
accommodate smaller gears. Sure, mountain bikes and some
hybrids also have eyelets and triple cranks, but they
are not conducive to riding great distances. And, after
all, who wants to be uncomfortable on a long touring
ride?
Would I rather sit in a comfy chair or on a
skinny bicycle seat?
Sure we've all seen them. Those strange
recumbent bicycles. And we've all stared at their owners
like they were out of their minds. Well, they probably
are out of their minds, but recumbent riders don't get
sore butts or backs like the rest of us. Recumbents are
just as fast as road bikes as far as I can tell, which
make them good choices for fast club rides.
Do I live where there are an abundance of steep
hills?
You might want to consider a sport bike -- a
road racing frame with a triple crank and, often, more
relaxed geometry. These two enhancements are simply more
physically forgiving. The lower gears you get from
adding a triple crank will save your knees by allowing
you to keep a higher pedaling cadence up those
annoyingly steep hills. This is probably a requirement
for those cyclists with bad knees or a few extra pounds
to carry around. A more relaxed geometry will make your
ride more comfortable on long rides and will make
climbing hills easier. You pay for these benefits by
losing some aggressiveness. You won't be winning any
sprints on your sport bike, but you'll still be able to
walk at the end of your next century .
Do I want to ride with a full-time partner or
child who doesn't ride at my level?
Then you should get a tandem. They are not
cheap, but it may be your only hope of keeping up with
your wife (or husband) or pre-teen child. Of course,
before shelling out the big bucks for a tandem, you have
to ask yourself, "Can I really stand to be attached to
this person for hours at a time? Will they cooperate? Do
I trust this person to be my tandem partner?" Hey, half
of the fun of bicycling is "getting away." If you want
some time alone, you're out of luck. However, tandems
can bring people closer together much more than just
sitting on the couch together watching television. And,
best of all, nothing goes faster than a good road tandem
on the flats and especially downhill! Keep in mind that
you'll want to purchase a road tandem (one with 700c
wheels) rather than an off-road tandem (with 26" wheels)
to get those speed advantages.
The off-road bikes might look cool, but where
are you going to ride that monstrosity off-road?
Will I primarily take leisurely rides on paved streets
or bicycle paths?
If you just want to relax on your bike on short rides at
a comfortable pace, you might want a hybrid. They're not
so great off-road and not so great on fast road rides.
However, you usually get to sit more upright and have
lots of small gears for riding easily. You might want to
trade in the stock tires for something with less tread
and more air pressure to increase your riding
efficiency.
Am I a kid who doesn't need an expensive
mountain bike to destroy?
You can buy an inexpensive BMX bike to beat up
that will accommodate your smaller size.
Do I just want to look cool riding on the
sidewalks and bike paths in the cool part of town?
Then get a new piercing and hop aboard a groovy
cruiser. They look like your grandmother's old Schwinn,
but these days you can put fancy componentry on that
funky little frame, including various internally
shifting rear hubs. This is a bike that just looks like
it belongs riding up and down busy city streets (wear a
helmet anyway, dude!) After all, if you don't feel look
and feel great on that bike, why bother?
Courtesy of
www.About.com
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